It`s that time of year again, Wimbleton`s ladies strut their stuff and fashions on and off court, along with their ball gripping and tossing skills.
Now that Serena William`s is out due to a technicality from her love match, which of the remaining field will take advantage and take a firm grasp of the trophy on offer.
Where the men are concerned Swiss, Spanish or other ??
TV broadcast starts 8.30pm tonight alternating on the 7 & 7TWO channels check local TV guides for further info

It`s that time of year when the Blues start wailing, and that`s just their media and fans to set the tone for their team.
SOO GAME 1 Qld Team
http://www.nrl.com/milford-napa-in-queensland-origin-team/tabid/10874/newsid/107065/default.aspx
Walters has stated that Jonathon Thurston is highly unlikely to overcome his shoulder injury for game 1.
OR, that`s double talk for Milford is filling in at training sessions (and on just in case standby) for Thurston and he (Thurston) will have a rapid recovery next Sunday night, but (just in case) Bennett can not take Milford over to NZ to play the Warriors next round???
Queensland Maroons Origin I team 1. Darius Boyd (Brisbane Broncos)
2. Corey Oates (Brisbane Broncos)
3. Will Chambers (Melbourne Storm)
4. Justin O'Neill (North Queensland Cowboys)
5. Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights)
6. Anthony Milford (Brisbane Broncos)
7. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
8. Dylan Napa (Sydney Roosters)
9. Cameron Smith (c) (Melbourne Storm)
10. Nate Myles (Manly Sea Eagles)
11. Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
12. Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos)
13. Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos) Interchange:
14. Michael Morgan (North Queensland Cowboys)
15. Sam Thaiday (Brisbane Broncos)
16. Aidan Guerra (Sydney Roosters)
17. Jacob Lillyman (Warriors)
18. Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
My only query would be Aidan Guerra who has been very quiet for the Roosters this season, but again has never let Qld down and therefore deserves to hold his spot.
I don`t see any surprises in the selections, and keeping Morgan in his role off the bench as an impact interchange was the right decision if Milford does play.
Cherry-Evans would never have been a realistic selection choice, even when he had been in good form with Foran at Manly, he could not take the step up to the origin level.
I would say Myles, Guerra and Lillyman would be the heads on the block if by some misalignment of the planets, on the night, Qld doesn`t win game 1.
EDIT added
New South Wailers
1 James Tedesco
2 Blake Ferguson
3 Josh Dugan
4 Jarryd Hayne
5 Brett Morris
6 James Maloney
7 Mitchell Pearce
8 Aaron Woods
9 Nathan Peats
10 Andrew Fifita
11 Josh Jackson
12 Boyd Cordner (c)
13 Tyson Frizell Interchange:
14 David Klemmer
15 Wade Graham
16 Jake Trbojevic
17 Jack Bird Additional:
18 Matt Moylan
19 Jordan McLean
20 Jack de Belin
20 ? even 22 wouldn`t help them

Seems @Gadmissed his normal sports report on this one.
aus all out 1st innings 260.
india epic collapse losing 7 for 11 to be all out for 105. Steve o'keefe 6-35 including 3 in one over.
aus 4-121 in their second innings, lead by 277...
keep going boys...

Well it seem`s an eternity since Grand Final 2016
The 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership kicks off next Thursday (3rd March) Broadcast live Ch 9. Sharks v Broncos at Southern Cross Group Stadium (Shark Park??)
2017 Draw http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/news/2016/11/nrl-2017-draw-fixtures-schedule/
· A representative round from May 5-7 which will include a men's and women's Test and the final Country v City match at Mudgee
· State of Origin matches on May 31 and 12 July (in Brisbane) and June 21 (Sydney)
· A reduction in the number of five-day turnarounds - from 31 to 19
· Matches being held in every mainland state with the Roosters taking a match to Adelaide for the first time when they play the Storm in Round 16
· The Premiership Finals Series begin on September 8 and culminate in the Grand Final on October 1.
The Rugby League World Cup will be held from October 26 to December 2.
The 2017 Telstra Premiership schedule can be found at www.nrl.com..........
Just to get Kelvin prepped for the season, here`s one for him
Three rugby league fans were walking back from the ground when one noticed a foot sticking out of the bushes by the side of the road. They stopped and discovered a nude female unconscious and near death so one of them phoned the police and also requested an ambulance.
Out of respect and propriety, the first Broncos fan took off his cap and placed it over one of the female's breasts. The second Broncos fan took off his cap and placed it over her other breast.
Following their lead, but with great reluctance, the Sea Eagles fan took off his cap and placed it over her lower region
. The police arrived first and an officer began to conduct his investigation.
He lifted up the first Broncos cap, replaced it and made an entry in his notebook.
He lifted the second Broncos cap and replaced it; making more notes in his book.
Then the officer lifted the Sea Eagles cap, replaced it, lifted it again, replaced it, lifted it a third time and replaced it one last time - shaking his head in disbelief.
The Broncos fan was extremely annoyed and challenged him, "What are you, a pervert or something mate? Why do you keep lifting and looking, lifting and looking?"
"Well," said the officer, "I'm a little surprised and confused.
Normally, when you look under a Manly cap... you'll find an a$$hole."

We had really enjoyed the venison from the last trip. So much so we have run out. Time to give my mate a call and head back to Kilcoy.
I rang my mate in and he had a bit of a scout. There has been some rain to the west of Kilcoy and he had seen a few deer hanging around. He reckons they will travel 30ks or so to get to good pasture.
He checked with the property owner who was more than happy for us to get rid of deer from his crops. They are really building up in numbers up there. My mate believes there is a breeding population of more than 15,000 that increases every year. They are often seen in the streets of Kilcoy eating roses and pumpkins. These are feral animals.
We drove about 35 mins west and hit the dirt road then through a few gates until we entered a paddock that runs along Brisbane River. The grass was nearly shoulder height and there were only a few cows running in this paddock. There had been more recent rain than he had expected with lots of ground water around. This mixed with the long grass was going to make it quite a challenge to find them as they would be spread out. We saw on up on the hill but it was way too far away to get a bead on. More than 500m away.
A bit of a drive around and it was clear this wasn't going to be as easy as the last trip.
It was getting dark and we saw a mob of 4 feeding in a gully. They saw us and were a bit spooked and headed off. A few whistles pulled them up and I picked one that looked good for the pot.
Jade helped me field dress it and we skinned and cut it up at this house.
I now have a freeser full of amazing, free range Venison that has never been in a truck or a feed lot and was humanely and respectfully killed. I will be bringing a roast along to blakesley's and hope you will all enjoy it.
I have made an arrangement with my mate and if I give him $100 and a carton of Great Northern I can go anytime. $150 for a great little adventure and venison for months. Winning.
Thanks

For anyone with an interest in horse racing, help me cheer home Champ Elect in the Magic Millions 2yo race today. My best mate and another mate went into syndicating (Adrenaline Thoroughbreds) a few years ago and this Choisir filly is their best one yet. Lovely horse that will be a cracking 3 year old and get probably a mile or further. Didn't fare so well with the barriers for todays race but if she can stay close enough should be powering to the line. Fingers crossed - go Champ Elect!

I love eating venison. I have never shot a deer before but I have always wanted to get my own rather than buy farmed animals and have been told there are a surprising number of deer around. After telling Angus about a recent trip i went on he encouraged me to put up a little report as in his words "It shouldn't be surprising that a lot of the people on the forum love hunting as well". So if you are not into deer hunting probably don't read this. Sorry there are no photos but I didn't shoot for trophies and I didn't want to take photos of dead deer.
So a little about me and why I wanted to hunt deer. I used to be a chef but it all got a bit much for me. I am happy that I no longer work in this industry but am glad that it has left me with a great appreciation of quality produce and what to do with it. I eat meat and I prefer to know that the animals I eat come from a sustainable source, have had a good life and die humanly. This has drawn me to fishing for my whole life and, only in the past few years, has sparked my interest in hunting deer. I had hoped that hunting a deer would let me feed my friends and family the most sustainable and humane meat that I know of. The feral deer are not fenced or fed. They spend a lot of time in the national parks and on farmland. The farmers are glad to have them gone so they no longer compete with their cattle. I am not after heads so would head shoot my deer for venison and try to eat every part of the deer that I can.
According to the hunters I know in Kilcoy, feral deer numbers are on the increase. There are many other reports of deer in Jindalee, Cannon Hill and around Brisbane airport. In Kilcoy the Red deer have increased in numbers so much that they are regularly seen in town. I have a friend with a property in Kilcoy and he said I can shoot there anytime I like, just as long as I can tell the difference between a deer and a racehorse. He wont eat venison "it's not as good as a good steak". We agree on most things like the best rum to drink and how to have a laugh but this is one thing that we don't agree on. I have had several trips up to his farm trying to get a deer with a borrowed 7mm 08 but as yet have had no success. While I have a licence I am yet to purchase a gun.
Anyhow last Friday I decided to try something different. I tee'd up with another friend that also lives up that way to try and bag a meat deer for Christmas lunch and hopefully a second one for friends, dinners and Angus wanted to make sausages. I drove up to his house and got a tour of his huge shed. He is one of the best hunters in the area (perhaps Australia) and his shed is lined wall to wall in caps. So many impressive antlers, some of them huge, and apparently records (i think 15 points?). He had just gone on a trip to the Kimberly with his son and proudly showed me the 4 enormous buffalo caps he had gotten up there. This friend does eat Venison and told me he basically brought up his family on it. Cheaper than going to the butchers.
He said he knew where the deer should be. He rang ahead to his friend who was more than happy for us to shoot on his land and we left his house at about 4.30 in the afternoon (sorry there are no names). On a property about 30 mins from the center of Kilcoy we saw a herd of about a half dozen Red deer standing and sitting under a tree waiting for nightfall. My mate drove past them turned right behind a small hill to get down wind.
My mate normally shoots alone but let me sit in the back with his Browning X-Bolt Hunter 270 Win (I'm not a gun expert so sorry if the jargon is a bit wobbly) and said for me to use the roof rack as a rest. He would shoot from the drivers seat using the mirror as a rest (naturally he has a cruiser). He said that if I F*&^%D around he would take the shot so I was determined not to mess about. We idled over the hill and scoped out the parcel of deer. There were 3 does and one buck with small buds starting to form standing up and 2 other deer lying down. I wanted a yearling and saw a few faint spots on one of the small deer on the ground. I was quite nervous. I had been trying to get a deer for a very long time and it was very exciting to be actually scoping a yearling. I wanted to make sure I shot straight. While I had been to the range quite a few times, this was different. Blood thumping in my temples, the flies wouldn't stop buzzing, but most insistently, the words of my mate rang in my ears "don't f#$k around" so I took the shot and it dropped immediately. "F#$K" came from the cab as he wasn't expecting the 270 to be that loud or as close, as I said he normally hunts alone. He steadied and took another shot and dropped a young doe.
I was so excited/happy/hungry/proud. The other deer ambled off. We could have shot more but we had what we came for so left them to wander down to the creek and into the treeline. A bit later we saw them out in the open. I was surprised that at no time did they sprint off. My friend explained that the locals didn't shoot here much as it is private property and you would need permission from the landowner. It seemed all too easy, almost like going to the freezer isle of the supermarket.
We field dressed them and I grabbed the liver from one but left the hearts, lungs and kidneys. I wish I had grabbed them now. I'm unfamiliar with using them but next time I will and will put them in some of Angus's sausages and learn how to cook them up.
We had a wee dram of Glenmorangie to toast the deer (not too much as I had to drive back to Brisbane) but I wanted to show some gratitude to them and Scottish salute seemed appropriate.... and delicious.
The plan was to skin and butcher them that night but some other friends came over for dinner so I hung them in the garage overnight. We ate some of the liver cooked in butter with onions garlic and bacon. My family don't like seeing dead deer, so I shut the door of the garage and instructed them to not go in. The next day we were flying to Sydney on an 8am Tiger airways flight and I had to deal with the venison before we left for the airport. I got up extra early and although I have a good idea what to do with them I'm not that well practiced at it. But after dropping them a few times, giving the dog Jackflash some treats and having to split one of them up half skinned so I could lift it back onto the hook I got them nicely prepared and into the freezer..... but we missed our flight. Santa can I have a cold room for Christmas??? Please.
So now I have a dressed deer for Christmas. I have given about half of the other deer to friends and have enough to make some sausages tomorrow.
It was a memorable trip for me. It feels good to have meat that was not fed silage, born and raised in a cage or trucked out and killed in a factory. I'm new to this but it has sparked a deep interest in me and I will be back.
Drop Bear
P.S. I will try and post some shots of the cooked end results

Gotta be true it was in the Shovel
Cheers
Ray
Jarryd Hayne To Take Nick Kyrgios’s Spot And Pursue Dream Of Playing Olympic Tennis
By The Shovel on June 3, 2016
Former NRL, NFL and Fijian 7s star Jarryd Hayne has jumped at the opportunity to fill Nick Kyrgios’s spot on the Australian Olympic tennis team, saying it was a chance to pursue his lifelong dream.
“Playing for the Parramatta Eels, playing for the San Francisco 49ers, playing for Fiji – all of this was just a stepping stone to going out on court in the men’s singles, and possibly the mixed doubles, in Rio 2016,” Hayne said.
The running back said he was ready to prove himself on the court. “I’ve never played tennis before, but I think my ability to crash through tackles and execute those quick breaks will put me in good stead out there on the court”.
The fullback said he had always dreamt of slotting a forehand winner past Roger Federer to take out gold for Australia. “It’s been my lifelong dream ever since Nick Kyrgios pulled out this morning. I’ve worked for this. I’m ready for this. I just hope the selectors put their faith in me”.
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This year I've organised both
the tipping comp (code: 109933) and
the Super Coach comp (code: 543432).
Everyone is invited, but there are only 12 spots available for the Super Coach comp.
Go to http://supercoach.dailytelegraph.com.au/nrl

The NRL has outlined a proposed blueprint to take the game forward over the next decade.
The plan, drawn up by the Head of Game Strategy and Development, Shane Richardson, is designed to improve player welfare and pathways, upgrade and strengthen the second tier and assist in protecting elite players from burnout.
Full article:
http://www.nrl.com/nrl-blueprint-for-the-future/tabid/10874/newsid/91182/default.aspx

Starts tomorrow Thursday 10 Dec. Check your local TV/broadcast guides for starting times
3 Tests: 1st Test 10 Dec Blundstone Arena Hobart, 2nd Test 26th Dec(Boxing Day Test) MCG Melbourne, 3rd Test 3 Jan SCG Sydney
James Pattinson has replaced Mitchell Starc (ankle). Pattinson has not played a Test since March 2014 due to injury.
The batting order should remain the same, even though some media speculation has w/keeper Peter Nevill replacing all-rounder Mitch Marsh at No.6.
The West Windies have not won an overseas Test series of any significance in 20 years.
Australian team to play West Indies in Hobart: David Warner, Joe Burns, Steve Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson. 12th man: Nathan Coulter-Nile.

2016 NRL season will start on Thursday 3 March
26 round draw
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2016-fixtures-live-announcement-of-full-draw-every-game-time-venue-for-season/story-fn2mcuj6-1227625604963
CLUB by CLUB Draw
http://www.nrl.com/club-by-club-draw-what-you-need-to-know/tabid/10874/newsid/91013/default.aspx

One of the upsides of being off work but not allowed to go fishing is that I get to plant myself on a couch for a few days and (hopefully) watch the Australian cricket team do what the wallabies missed out on doing. First ball coming up in a few minutes. Go the Aussies.

You little beauty!!!!!! Whilst texting a mate during the first origin we made the decision to take a punt and book to go to the grand final - looking a VERY good decision now!! We have 7 of us going and get free entry into Royal Randwick for Epsom Hcap day on the Saturday so going to be a brilliant weekend. I just need to remember to make sure the NSW fans are aware of the score this year (and the fact we've won 9/10 ....) and that there is no Sydney team in the GF. Giddy up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone else going?

South Sydney Rabbitohs are the world club champions after dominating Super League side St Helens in a 39-0 win at Langtree Park on Monday morning (AEDT). The win, following St George-Illawarra's 18-12 win over Warrington and Brisbane's 14-12 golden point win over Wigan, completed a clean sweep for Australian sides at the World Club Series. />http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-23/rabbitohs-thrash-saints-to-win-world-club-challenge/6214422 Bennetts` Still Bennett />http://www.nrl.com/broncos-win-bizarre-thriller-over-wigan/tabid/10874/newsid/83968/default.aspx

Friday Feb 13 Ch9 broadcast starts 7.30pm Qlder time The NRL will trial two rule changes in Friday night's Indigenous All Stars match that could become permanent as soon as next year. The 40-20 rule has been relaxed to allow any kick for touch that is 40 metres long or more to give possession to the kicking team, while all scrums in the pre-season extravaganza on the Gold Coast will be moved to the centre of the field. The attacking team will have the choice of which side the ball is fed into scrums, while the lock from the attacking team will not have to bind in scrums. />http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-11/nrl-to-trial-scrum-and-field-kicking-rules-in-all-stars-match/6086480?WT.ac=statenews_qld

We haven't had a tipping comp for a year or two so this year I've opened a comp up for AFOers who are keen to have a go at selecting their own team and pitting it against other AFOers. Should be a bit of fun. Register at />http://nrlfantasy.dailytelegraph.com.au/ You will need the comp number. Please PM me for the comp number before registering.